Tanzania Part 11: Dancing performance & my last Savanna Cider

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

We took the ferry back from Stone Town to Dar for our last 1,5 day and decided to stay at a much nicer hotel than the super basic place we had stayed at when we first arrived – mainly because we didn’t plan to spend the entire days running around markets and streets anyway, but rather have a rest and sit a bit by a pool before our flight back. But then again, as curiosity tends to strike, in the afternoon my mother suggested we go to the Village Museum – basically an open air area with different traditional huts from different tribes in Tanzania. The exhibition in itself wasn’t particularly engaging or great, but we were lucky to stumble upon a fun performance by the traditional Tanzanian dancing and music group “Kusini Umoja” – and got a really great show. I had a proper dish of prawns the way I used to have them in Mozambique along with the mandatory Savanna Dry cider, and at night we headed off for our 17h of travelling and waved good bye and asante sana to Tanzania. :) Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaDar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaDar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaDar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Tanzania Part 10: Last of Stone Town & all about the food!

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Apart from strolling around in markets, talking with people and looking at all the Stone Town doors – we ate. A lot and often. Because just as Stone Town was filled to the brim with visible traces of its cultural heritage – it was also a culinary rainbow of contrasts: From a first class rooftop Persian and Omani food experience, to deep fried Indian treats served on today’s newspaper on the street, and of course our first experience of Ethiopian food – you can imagine we were very happy.

Guided by Tripadvisor reviews as well as our own “let’s try this one!” exclamations, our taste buds got to experience the following:

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Lukmaan restaurant is a local lunch spot serving huge portions at very affordable prices. The food is really “Zanzibar food” – mixing African and oriental spices in what I would refer to as elephant servings. Going here for lunch means that, despite sharing a portion, you probably won’t be hungry again until the next day. We ate really early, shared and didn’t really finish everything (sorry) because we knew we had booked a spot later that same evening – but still. Worth a visit if you’re on a budget and want to know where those Darajani market cow heads end up. Needless to say, I opted for the vegetarian option. Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, Zanzibar

The Emerson on Hurumzi Tea House Restaurant was very worth pre-booking and probably our favourite food experience in Stone Town. The Persian/Omani restaurant is situated in a historical building on top of a hotel with the same name, and if you arrive early and ask the staff nicely you can sneak in to some of the rooms – all decorated as if for royalty. As would be expected from a #1 on Tripadvisor – everything in this place was impeccable, the food was rich in taste, the service was excellent, the singing and music entertaining – and the decor and view really hard to beat.

We were asking our waiter, Omar, so many questions that he decided to keep us company during dinner and told us about how the Islamic tradition of prayer is practiced in Stone Town – about how the city comes to life early in the morning with the Fajr and in many ways breathes and adjusts to the times of contemplation while at the same time adjusting to a modern way of life with jobs and errands. As we sat there, the Maghrib (sunset) call for prayer sounded from a nearby mosque, and the buzz of voices in the restaurant went silent.

If I were to recommend ONE place to eat in Stone Town, it would definitely be this one.   Stone Town, Zanzibar  

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarOn our last day in Stone Town we decided to try something different, and made our way to the Abyssinian Maritim which is an Ethiopian restaurant with nice Tripadvisor reviews. I had been trying to convince my mother to go with me to Ethiopia for years – so this would serve as a way to get a taste of it in the meanwhile, literally. The restaurant is, again, beatifully decorated and situated – and the injera flatbread, hand washing ceremony and way of eating was all good fun. The service was well.. really bad frankly, but the overall experience made it worth it and we had fun. Life is too short to eat bad food!

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar Stone Town, ZanzibarThat same evening, as if we hadn’t already eaten enough, we made our way to what was portrayed as a secret oasis in town – The Secret Garden of Emerson Spice – squeezed in between the buildings of the narrow Stone Town streets, located in what looked like a roofless ruin of a castle. With only a few tables and almost no people around it made for a perfect place to have a good conversation, laugh, chat with the staff and try some dessert. We were so full that we impossibly could imagine eating anything more but we really wanted to pay the place a visit. I don’t have a photo of the bathroom but it had a pool in it, seriously.

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar Stone Town, ZanzibarOn our last stroll, headed back to the hotel for our last sleep in Stone Town, my mother met a lady selling deep fried.. somethings. Oily, hot and served in a newspaper. Since our motto is a bit “if it’s hot, it’s probably safe” she insisted on having one. I was full – but curious, so we had one. Of course. Or at least shared one and gave the rest away because we realized that there was no way we were going to be able to eat more that evening. The taste? Deep fried. My mom was happy, deep fried is her favourite taste. haha!

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarThe view from our room in Maru Maru after we had kindly asked for a room upgrade and kindly gotten one. Staff in hotels seems to really like the idea of a mother-daughter duo travelling together. Yay!

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

And then we said good bye and thank you to gorgeous Stone Town – a true gem!

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Tanzania Part 9: Tortoises can get old, and huge

Prison Island, Tanzania

From Zanzibar we went for a day-trip to Changuu Island, also known as Kibandiko or Prison Island, just a short boat trip from Stone Town. The island was once used as a prison for slaves in the 1860s and later as a quarantine station for yellow fever cases. Today, it’s mainly an attraction because of the conservation area housing the endangered Aldabra giant tortoises, a 1919 gift from a former British givernor of the Seychelles – what started out with four tortoises quickly became hundreds and were then stolen for private homes over many years until there were almost none left – today, the tortoises are protected by a foundation.

With our love for animals, we visited the park – with the ages of the tortoises written on their shell we saw that many of them were more than 100 years old – we fed them, petted them, and hung out. A really fun day trip and adventure, worth paying for to invest in the well being of these calm and gracious creatures.

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Prison Island, Tanzania

Tanzania Part 8: Stone Town doors (& some windows)

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Elaborately carved and grand – the unmissable wooden doors in Zanzibar’s Stone Town are the main manifest of the city’s cultural roots – a beautiful mix of Swahili, Arab and Indian patterns that tell stories about the residents’ social status, religion, heritage and even profession.

While walking around town, several people wanted to tell us the particular story behind their family door, all coded into the design – pride passed on through generations. Wave-like patterns were a sign of the owner’s role in seaborne trade, vines about spice-trade, and flowers at the top of the door were an indication of how many families used to live in the building. Chains were supposed to protect the building from evil spirits, or – maybe related – mark the houses of slave owners.

Then of course there are the brass studs. These are from India where brass studs were used to protect against elephants and while there aren’t any elephants on Zanzibar, the studs were still considered beautiful and showcased the wealth of the resident. Arab doors are the most detailed ones, often decorated with Arabic inscriptions and Quran phrases on the top frame, while Swahili doors are more simple – square, modest and without fancy decorations.

Can you tell which door is which kind? Enjoy the details.

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Tanzania Part 7: Darajani Market – your vegan nightmare

Stone Town, Zanzibar

On our second day in Stone Town, we took a stroll away from the touristy parts of town and headed to the Darajani market. A market where people go for food and where I guess much of the fish we had been eating so far came from. For a person trying to limit her meat consumption, it was like entering a vegan nightmare – a morgue-like pavilion packed with people and severed animal faces, a stark smell of blood and fish, and way too many flies to be considered sanitary. It felt rather claustrophobic, no matter how inviting the people were and how much Mr. Omar insisted on showing us the cow head he had in his stall – we got out of there pretty quickly. And on the way out he was there, the smiling man with the oranges. We were safe. Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Tanzania Part 6: A first taste of Stone Town

Stone Town, ZanzibarWe arrived to Zanzibar’s Stone Town with our taxi by noon, and dropped our bags in Maru Maru hotel which we had chosen as our base. We were very happy with the pick – not only was the staff very friendly, but the rooms were beautiful and the hotel was perfectly located for our planned strolls. So we headed straight out for lunch and had a first taste of the town, which immediately became a favourite. Colourful, friendly, interesting to walk, full of art and very interesting – perfect for the way we like to explore cities. The city is made up of mazes of streets, full of little shops and beautiful doors that I couldn’t stop photographing.

In the evening we went to the Forodhani Gardens which were just around the corner from Maru Maru, where we stood for a while watching young men jumping into the sea, and then enjoyed the evening food market – where one among street food such as fruits and meats can choose from Mr. Banana Pizza, Mr. Superman Pizza, Mr. Nutella Pizza and dozens of other little tables with delicious sweet pizza options. We settled for, simply, Mr. Zanzibar Pizza – and shared a chocolate, banana, peanut butter option which was absolutely delicious. 

Later on, in the Old Fort art market, I found two paintings that I immediately liked – they were thrown into a storage corner and were going to be discarded. Unlike other tinga tinga art (which I find quite messy), these had one colour as the base and then focused on ONE animal each, and were much more minimalist in their style while still being fun and vivid. The sales person didn’t like them, but I did – so I brought them home. Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town, ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar

Tanzania Part 5: Jozani forest – Monkeys & Cardamom

Jozani forest

On our way back from Paje, we stopped by the Jozani forest where we took a tour to see the endangered Colobus monkeys, the mangrove, and a spice tour. A great pit-stop on the way.

We got to see the friendly Colobus monkeys – a species that only can be found on Zanzibar – up-close, hear the stories of how important cloves historically have been for the economy of Zanzibar, but also smell, touch and taste different spices, and maybe most importantly – buy quite a bit of really delicious Zanzibar cardamom.

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest

Jozani forest + spice tour

Tanzania Part 4: A break on Zanzibar’s Paje beach

Paje, Zanzibar

After a couple of days of rough travelling, and my own months of a pretty intense Red Cross contract (immediately after my Belize contract) – I was more than excited for some relaxing beach time on Zanzibar. Our safari driver dropped us off by the ferry terminal in Dar es Salaam, and after the 2h boat ride we hopped straight into a cab by the ferry terminal. Be careful with the prices as they are trying hard to rip people off, there are even laminated “Government price lists” which are almost 4x the actual price. I had called our Zanzibar hotel the day before and asked what a cab should cost so we had a bargaining goal which we were able to hit.

The driver took us to Paje beach on the other side of the Island, where we checked in at Dhow Inn and had a good night’s sleep after having spent another entire day travelling. What we did next was my favourite of activities – absolutely nothing! We chilled on the beach, read books, walked around, painted our nails, had nice dinners, went to nearby Pingwe to the hyped restaurant The Rock which indeed was very cool – and spent the entire afternoon just chilling at Upendo, a chilled bar where we had fruit cocktails while a dj was spinning Fela Kuti tracks. We stayed until the mosquitoes came out.

Paje was a quiet and calm town with crispy white beaches, low tide and palm trees, friendly Masaai men selling handicrafts without being too pushy, and kite surfers with long hair spending their entire days on their boards. It was low season so there weren’t a lot of people around and it would probably have gotten rather boring to spend another day there – but to really get a proper break and some quiet time, Paje was absolutely perfect.

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, Zanzibar Paje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Paje, Zanzibar

Paje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar Paje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, ZanzibarPaje, Zanzibar

Tanzania Part 3: We survived our safari in Selous so I could show you these photos

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Next morning, we took off after an early breakfast and headed straight to the gates of the Selous Game Reserve again, where we spent the day first walking and then driving around, learning about the plants, insects and animals that the wilderness of Tanzania wanted to show us.

Finding the lions was not an easy task, but suddenly we saw them – and just as we did, our jeep got stuck in the mud. The driver wanted to get out of the car to manually shift the wheels to 4×4, so he revved the engine and opened the door to get out, but the lioness was just looking straight at him, from the other side of the hood, just a couple of feet away from where he needed to reach to hit the switch. He decided to close the door and get back into the car.

We closed the windows but our roof was pretty much open. I took some photos of the lioness that seemed rather uninterested, but judging from how our guide started sweating and looking rather uneasy, we sat down quietly and looked at her and her cubs in awe through the window. As the tension in the air slowly rose and I started wondering how long we would be sitting there and calculating how long the water would last us for – another jeep with a Japanese film crew pulled over, and their guide helped us out of the mud.

A similar thing happened with the elephants, as we had been looking around for them the entire day. I love elephants so I was excited to show my mom their grandeur, but the elephants in Selous were very different from the ones I had seen in Swaziland and Botswana before – Selous is apparently also a quite busy hunting ground, and elephants are intelligent animals – let’s just say they were not excited about seeing our jeep, and did everything to scare us off. And that elephants are big, scary and very dangerous.

All in all, it was a very enriching and exciting experience, but we basically survived both death-by-lion and death-by-elephant just so I can show you these photos, so do enjoy.

And yes – there were zebras too, and giraffes of course – ever so gracious.

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - Tanzania

Tanzania Part 2: Rufiji river cruise

Selous National Park - Tanzania

After our second night in Dar es Salaam, we got packed and ready for adventure – and were picked up at 7.30 in the morning by the tour company we had booked a tour with – Waterbuck Safaris. We drove for almost six hours to the Selous Game Reserve, where we were going to spend two nights at the Zarafa Tented camp, and were greeted by the very nice manager, Henrick, with popcorn and orange juice. After checking in and dropping bags, we headed straight to the Rufiji river, where the captain took us for a cruise to see the sunset, some birds, crocodiles and hippos.

A very nice evening after a quite tiresome drive. And a gorgeous sunset.

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania

Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania
Selous National Park - TanzaniaSelous National Park - Tanzania